BUGATTI WINS THE MOROCCO RALLY
The Morocco Rally can safely be said to be the most severe test of its kind yet held. After rallying to Tangiers from all parts of Europe, the competitors were faced with four days of high average speed combined with a hill-climb and an acceleration-braking test-all without any adjustments being permitted.
There were 37 entries, and the starting controls were London, Paris, Brussels, Warsaw, Rome, and Sfax. The average speed set for the routes as far as Gibraltar was so k.p.h., involving three days and three nights on the road. All the competitors arrived safely with the exception of Miss Labouchere (Singer), who was the solitary entrant from London. When only 40 kilometres from Gibraltar she crashed off the road. Miss Labouchere was only slightly injured, but her companion, Mr. Everett, was taken to hospital with a fractured skull. At Gibraltar. Perrier (Delahaye) was forced to retire through the collapse of one of his passengers.
At Tangiers a hill-climb of 3 kilometres was held, in which fastest time Was made by Jean Trevoux on a 3-litre Bugatti, who beat the local record for the hill. There was one accident, when Grandvarlet left the road with his Delahaye and hit a telegraph pole. Mlle. Pierrette Dax made fastest time in the 1,500 c.c. class with her Singer, beating Sch welder’s Adler. The first day of the tour of Morocco was a stiff task. Rainstorms flooded the roads all day long, and the average speed of 43+ 171 p.h. was impossible for most cars on the first too miles of mountain road between Ouezzan and Fez, which contained 1,400 corners. Actually only seven out of the 27 cars were up to time at Fez, but the rest of the 427 mile journey was over magnificent, fast roads. In spite of the rain some really fast averages were put up, notably by Trevoux’s Bugatti
(68 m.p.h.), Cousins’ Buick (62 m.p.h.), Max Lampel’s Renault (62 m.p.h.), and Mlle. Dax’s Singer (over 55 m.p.h.). On arrival at Meknes, the end of the first stage, only two people were penalised : Max Klinke (Graham), and Grandvallet, whose Delahaye was suffering from the effects of its accident in the hill-climb at Tangiers. Both of them retired.
At Meknes the next day the special acceleration and braking test was held: 500 metres from a standing start, stop on a line, and reverse back so metres. Everybody got through all right, fastest time being made by de Hemptime, driving Cousins’ Buick.
The second &ape, 348 miles at 42+ m.p.h., was blessed by magnificent sunshine, and yet nine competitors were penalised for late arrival at ivlarakech. They were as follow : Max Lampel (Renault), Hasse (Adler), Legre (Panhard), Real (Renault), von Guilleaume (Adler), Saubrivain (Adler), Lamberjack (Saurer), and Mlle. Dax (Singer). The latter had been lying first when she lost her way at the start, and failed to make up time. Only two competitors were now left who could boast clean sheets, Lahaye (Renault) and Trevoux (Bugatti), both of whom have won the great Monte Carlo Rally. The day’s route lay through some wonderful scenery, and included a difficult mountain road.
The next day was a day of rest, and the competitors were royally entertained by the organisers, who provided among other shows a dance of Arab girls. The day passed lazily enough, and everyone was entranced at the splendour of the snowtopped Atlas Mountains, towering over the city. The third stage was from Marakech to Agadir, 362 miles at 34+ m.p.h., over roads fringing the desert. The day was marred
by a nasty accident to Baron de Hemptime and Cousins in their Buick, which turned over on a corner. The former was driving at the time, and had already reduced Cousins, who is the General Motors agent in Brussels, to a state of abject fear by his furious cornering. He insisted on regarding the rally as a race, with dire results. He himself received some head injuries, while Cousins was hurt in the chest and stomach. The only other retirement was that of Mlle. Dax, whose Singer fractured a chassis member. All the rest arrived at Agadir without losing marks.
The last etafre was a real teaser, 354 miles at an average of 47 m.p.h., and yet only one car fell out, Real’s Renault. At the end, Lahaye and Trevoux were still without lost marks, and accordingly they fought it out in the special test devised for such an eventuality. This consisted of two performances of the following test : accelerate for too metres, stop, and reverse to the starting line once more. The average of the two runs was to count. Trevoux was handicapped by a flat front tyre, but on the other hand Lahaye had to give him two seconds by virtue of his larger engine. The result was a victory for Trevoux’s Bugatti. There were 15 finishers out of 34 starters.
1. Trevoux-Lesurque (Bugatti), no marks; lost.
2. Lahaye-Quatresous (Renault), ditto. 8. Dreier (Alfa-Romeo), 3.5 marks.
4. de Marra (Talbot). 11.5 marks.
5. Bon-de Witt (Ford), 14 marks.
6. Ambard (Ford), 14 marks.
7. Frontignac (Ford), 14.5 marks.
8. Cayla (Ford), 15 marks.
9. de Bremond (Ford), 16 marks.
10. Hamsbuger (Ford), 17.5 marks. 11. Schweider (Adler), 33 marks
12. Logre (Panharcl), 43 marks.
13. da, Silva (Steyr), 54 marks.
14. Max Lampel (Renault), 102 marks.
15. Lamberjack (Saurer coach), 746 marks.
RESU LTS
BUGATTI WINS THE MOROCCO RALLY